Detail Of Terrorism Update

Sunday, February 18, 2018

India

Jammu and Kashmir on high alert in fifth anniversary of Afzal Guru’s hanging, says report

Security agencies are on high alert across Jammu and Kashmir concerned about the possibility of a strike by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to mark the fifth anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9 (today), reports The Indian Express. “We are always on alert but February 9 and 11 are important days in Kashmir so we are taking extra precautions,’’ Director General of J&K Police (DGP) S P Vaid said. While the anniversary of Guru’s hanging is on February 9, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Tihar jail on February 11, 1984.

A Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in north Kashmir said that though they (JeM cadres) are mostly concentrated in south Kashmir, the latest alert is that they may try and strike in north — particularly Sopore and Handwara. “There is no doubt that if we lower our guard even a bit, they will strike’, said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir zone, Muneer Khan. He said that there are around 22 JeM militants active in the Valley of whom 15 are in South Kashmir while the rest in the north. “Though Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar are still bigger in numbers, Jaish has come to the forefront. After we killed Dujana and Ismail, Lashkar has become leaderless… that helped Jaish to take centre stage. All fidayeen attacks carried out over the last year were done by Jaish.” Khan said that Jaish’s revival in Kashmir took place after two of their groups infiltrated through Kupwara. “One big group infiltrated via Poonch (in Jammu province) too. This happened last August,’’ he said. “We have killed around 13 from those groups. The rest are still around”.